Freeride (from the English freeride - “free riding, skating”) is one of the styles of the most magnificent winter hobby, namely. It is believed that it is freeride skiing on off-piste mountain terrain and untouched snow that reveals the fullness of possibilities. skiing. Of course, freeride is not a place for beginners in skiing, as it is often accompanied by various dangers (from avalanches to elementary loss of the route in space). When preparing to master the freeriding style of riding, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to choosing the terrain, planning the route, and scouting the climate and weather conditions. The only thing left to do is to choose the right skis for freeride.
Before skiing, it is necessary not only to plan the route, but also to choose the right skis
In this article you will learn what criteria you should use to choose freeride skis among the rich modern assortment.
Types of freeride skiing
Before you begin, you need to figure out what exactly you have to deal with, or rather, what type of freeride you are going to do.
- Freeride light, or lightweight - a type of skiing on loose snow (powder), outside the ready-made ski slopes. People are taken to the top of the mountain using lifts, then there is a free ride down the mountain along selected untouched terrain. It is worth noting that this type of entertainment is relatively budget-friendly.
- Catskiing is the process of transporting skiers to snowy mountain peaks using a special vehicle, famous for its absolute cross-country ability, called a “snowcat” (which immediately affects the cost of this type of skiing). After this, freeriders carry out an off-piste free descent from the mountain.
- Backcountry, or ski touring, is another type of freeride accessible on a budget. In this case, the ascent to the top of the mountain is carried out by a comfortable ascent by freeriders on skis to the selected end point of the route. This is followed by a free descent.
- Snowboarding is perhaps one of the most fun types of freeride. Here, alpine skiing becomes only an auxiliary element of skiing. The main part of the process is taken over by a mountain bike, ATV or snowmobile, to which they are attached using special freerider equipment. This is how snow skiing is achieved, reminiscent of water skiing.
The types of freeride skiing described above are only the basic and most common variations of skiing, which even a beginner or amateur can initially become familiar with after deciding to master this style.
Selection of ski equipment
So, if you have already decided on the route and type of freeride, then it’s time to choose freeride skis. Please note that your level of training and skiing skills are important here.
Alpine skiing are divided into several categories and types according to different criteria.
Ski categories
First of all, the selection of a category depends on the professionalism and personal physical data of the skier.
Here we can distinguish the following categories of skis:
- for beginners;
- for advanced amateur skiers;
- for professional sport skiing.
Without a doubt, a consultant at any sports store will help you make this initial choice. Next, you should take into account the age and constitution of the skier. The gender of the athlete is also important.
Age and gender differences in alpine skiing
There is an age limit for ski equipment. Based on this, shells are divided into the following types:
- adults;
- junior (teenage);
- children's.
In turn, adult and children's equipment from the category for beginners can also be divided by gender:
- men's;
- women's
They all differ in softness or hardness, sensitivity to the snow surface and the geometry of the ski structure, which will be able to ensure safe descent in difficult conditions (ice cover, avalanche). We'll talk more about this later.
Alpine skis for freeride style
The main feature of freeride devices lies in their design: they have a fairly wide middle part of the projectiles (up to 11 cm) and a short length relative to their owner.
Professional riders advise focusing on your height: ski boards placed vertically should be slightly (2–3 cm) higher than a person.
Freeride skis should, of course, be comfortable for any maneuvering, taking into account the possibility of skiing both on loose snow (powder) and on hard icy surfaces.
It should be understood that professional sports ski equipment is characterized by the rigidity of the board when pressed, which means that only a person of a certain weight category can own such skis. The athlete will undoubtedly select this category of equipment based on the recommendations of his coach and the type of descent (ski cross, slalom, freestyle, etc.).
But there are also universal products.
Universal mountain equipment is more flexible to learn by both amateur skiers and beginners. They will allow you to ride both on a prepared track and on a steep, unbroken mountain slope.
Size and length of skis for amateur freeride
Typically, equipment for any freeride descent differs in its length and width, which consists of different parameters of the front, middle and rear parts projectile. Also, when choosing ski equipment, the radius of the side cutout of the projectile is taken into account. For example, wide alpine skis are suitable for soft powder slopes. For hard mountain slopes, you should choose narrower devices (with an average “waist”) that will allow the skier to easily ride even on a bumpy track.
The usual average width of all-mountain skis for amateur riders varies from 6 cm to 8 cm. Such shells should not be long. They are often 5–10 cm shorter than their owner. This length provides a safe descent for beginners, as it is relatively easy to control and maneuver.
Alpine ski design
By design, ski equipment is divided into three main categories:
- sandwich;
- box
Sandwich is a ski design that consists of multi-layer filling of the device with various materials. Each layer of such filling is responsible for its function. As a rule, the top and bottom layers are responsible for ensuring the rigidity of the projectile.
A cap is a design option that also consists of several layers of different composition, but, unlike the first option, the “foundation” of the cap is the upper hard layer, to which all subsequent forming layers of the ski equipment are attached.
Box - a structure with a “core” that is enveloped necessary material over its entire surface, which, in turn, provides torsional rigidity of the ski board for good grip on any route and smooth control.
To complete the picture, it would be useful to listen to freeride style professionals. Most often these are guides and rescuers who are trained and have the most sophisticated and dexterous professional skiing skills.
- A ski width of 10 cm for freeride is more than enough at any level of skiing. Suitable for skiing on both hard surfaces and soft powdery snow.
- You should always keep up with the times and listen to new sports trends. In this case, we are talking about purchasing ski equipment with Rocker technology. These skis are much faster and lighter at lower speeds, allowing you to master powder skiing techniques without sacrificing skiing on hard surfaces. Thus, when skiing with rocker, you can safely alternate skiing terrain, which is perfect for both beginners and more advanced freeride lovers. For daily free skiing, skis with double-sided rocker are suitable.
- It is worth noting that hard skis with a straight tail are suitable for ski touring. Ski touring fastenings often make the skis heavier and reduce the sensitivity of their control; skiers with low skiing skills should remember this. weight category, and also must be taken into account when choosing equipment for women and children.
- When skiing on powder, it is advisable to purchase shells with reverse deflection. This will create a feeling of flight and “snow surfing”. Skis with such a camber do not sink in the snow and are easy to control.
- Spring skiing will be provided by lightly modeled skis with pronounced carving like a twin-tip. Such skis will not get stuck in dense wet snow and will provide good cross-country ability, taking into account spring weather conditions.
That's all the initial knowledge about the features of freeride skis that should be taken into account when purchasing ski equipment. All that remains is to choose the design and color scheme of your equipment, and go ahead to master the freeride style.
We continue to talk about equipment and the second interviewee is Albert Baidaev (professional freerider, multiple winner of freeride competitions, guide, rescuer).
BM: How do you choose freeride skis? And first answer as if this were your only couple, and then how you would like it to be ideally.
AB: In general, I only have 2 pairs of skis. One is the main one, which I ride most of the time, and the other is for ski touring, which I use less actively. Therefore, willy-nilly, I choose a universal ski so that it is comfortable to ride on both virgin and hard snow. Therefore, it should not be a soft ski that will wobble on all uneven surfaces, but also not too hard, because to push through a hard ski you need heavy weight or high speed, which you cannot develop in places where you need to take small turns. For example, in narrow couloirs (unless, of course, you drive them in a straight line). Or in the forest...
I don't really like long skis, with a height of 172 and a weight of 70 kg, I prefer to take a ski from 181 to 185 cm. On such a ski you can accelerate well and maneuver comfortably.
As for the width, I’ll say that 100 mm is enough to ride both on powder and on tin, which is too wide all-round ski It shouldn’t be, because on a hard slope you will have to put more effort into turning. And yet, I think you need to keep up with the times and buy a ski with a rocker, as it provides good floatation of the skis from deep snow. True, on the hard side, due to the shorter contact length, skis with rocker hold the arc worse, but you quickly adapt to this (if the ski is good, of course;)).
A few words about fastening. Nowadays, many who like to ski not only with the help of a lift, but also to hike in wilder places, for greater versatility, put ski touring mounts, such as the Salomon Guardian, on their only pair of skis.
Still, for ski touring, I preferred to assemble a separate lightweight kit for myself, because such ski touring fasteners make the ski very heavy and I don’t like the platform because you stand higher from the ski and therefore feel it worse.
I attach fasteners to my everyday skis Vist v614 with adjustment range 6-14 (58-130kg).
And now I’ll dream that I have as many pairs as my heart desires and, since I ski for the Icelantic ski brand, I’ll tell you about the skis I ski and about those models in the line that I’m missing.)))
For daily riding:
For powder:
I would take the Icelantic Gypsy 180 cm, with reverse deflection. If you could describe the feeling of skiing in one word, it would be “power.” On the pauper you feel like a surfer. You don’t have to be afraid to crush one leg and “drown” because of this, you just stand there and do whatever you want. She's super bouncy, like a spring. When you jump from an upward-facing relief, you feel as if someone gave you a kick to take off))). Some people may think the 180 size is a little short, but no, the Gypsy has such a geometry of 152x125x148 that you don’t sink in the snow and the ski is well controlled.
Note: Since 2016, the Gypsy model has become known as the Nomad RKR 125.
For ski touring:
I’m a guide and therefore I walk a lot uphill, so that I can then have a great time going down the wild slopes). If the terrain allows it, then you go on skis, but if it’s too steep or hard, then you carry the skis on your back - for a ski tourer the weight of the equipment is very important.
Therefore, I use the Icelantic VANGUARD 107 model, size 178 cm. This is a lightweight ski model, created specifically for those who like to wander around the mountains. A pair of skis weighs only 3,200! Moreover, this is a normal, strong ski with a real wooden core. No foam, which is what big factories like to stuff into skis. Manufacturers are so confident in the quality of their products that they give them a three-year guarantee.
The ski is quite rigid, the geometry is more classic than that of the Nomads. Those are a normal classic deflection and a flat tail. Front rocker. 
Due to the fact that lightweight ski touring boots are still softer than usual ones, the skier often sits on the fifth point, but since the Icelantic Vanguard skis have a flat tail, this effect is somewhat compensated for. In addition, the ski does not jump out from under you.
Camber (camber) is classic, rigidity is above average, which allows the ski to firmly cling to the slope and maintain an arc even on the ice fields of Elbrus (this often happens in the spring, especially when descending from the peak).
But there is still rocker at the front, which allows the ski to float in the snow.
The weight of the ski is, of course, very important for me, but the priority is still the descent, and therefore, of the two Icelantic ski touring models, I took the wider one, with a 107 waist, and have never regretted it!
For spring:
For spring skiing, I would take the Icelantic Pilgrim 179cm with a 90mm waist. This is a lightweight ski with pronounced carving properties. In spring the snow is heavy, wet and dense. It sticks to a wide ski and it becomes difficult to ski, you get tired, so you need a lighter model. And sometimes you want to rush along the slope and feel the control that a carving ski gives. In addition, Piligrim is a twin type, so you can spin on it.
Now let's summarize...
VM: Favorite length?
AB: My favorite length is 181 cm with a width of 105 mm, but as advice to everyone, when choosing a ski for freeride, you need to take into account height and weight, on average, a universal ski is height + 7 +10, if the weight is heavy, then you can take a longer and stiffer ski.
VM: Favorite width?
AB: 100-110mm.
VM: Rigidity?
AB: Above average
VM: Geometry?
AB: If for everyday use, then with a double-sided rocker; for ski touring, with a front rocker and a flat tail.
VM: Is design important to you?
AB: Yes, it is desirable that it is not stressful. I don’t like skulls, if I suddenly get a ski like this I always try to cover them up. I don't like any evil mystical creatures. But I like it when nature is depicted. Mountains, animals. Just like Icelantic.
Sheregesh is a traditional place for the opening of the ski season for most riders from Russia and neighboring countries. The resort is famous for its powdery snow and off-piste skiing. But ideas about the ideal skis for freeride in Sheregesh are ambiguous and directly depend on the preferences of the rider. Some strive to roll out exclusively untouched fields of fresh snow, while others strive to develop the entire space of the resort, regardless of the condition of the slopes on and off the slopes. We interviewed several experienced skiers to tell them what kind of skis they ski in Sheregesh themselves and give advice on choosing the ideal freeride model for this resort. In some ways their opinions coincided, but in others they predictably diverged.
Rostislav Akava
About the rider: Instructor at SnowPro school, ski instructor category B at NLI ( National League Instructors), athlete - finalist of Russian freeride competitions in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Rostislav Akava
Now I have two pairs of skis in my arsenal - Black Crows Corvus 2011 and Rossignol Super 7 2015. The first is a rigid tool for freeride on steep slopes in large mountains. Skis are demanding, and it took a whole season to get used to and make friends with them. But after that they showed themselves to be an excellent all-rounder and deservedly became my favorite “workhorse” - I ride Corvus almost everywhere. In addition, they help in my teaching practice. Since these skis are technically demanding, everything needs to be done on them as correctly as possible, and this is very clear and useful for riders learning off-piste skiing.
Rossignol Super 7- fairly soft, but at the same time stable skis that ride great not only in virgin soil. I also liked them because of their relatively light weight, since I ski tour in Luzhba and Kazyr every year.
Speaking about the ideal skis for off-piste skiing in Sheregesh, it is worth understanding that the snow here can be very different. “The same” powder that everyone usually talks about falls during the “Big Snow” period at the turn of November-December. At this moment it is really soft, very crumbly, snowfalls occur frequently and the snow cover is constantly renewed. For fun skiing on such powder, wide skis with a waist of 115-120 mm and deep rocker at the toe will be really relevant. The classics here are the wide Fischer Watea/Big Stix, Atomic Bent Chetler, Line Eric Pollard, old Armada JJ.
Glory to Akava. Riding in the “Camel” area of Sheregesh © Yulia Grebeneva
But the period of “Big Snow” does not last long. In the “high” season, there may be no snowfalls for several weeks, and fresh powder rolls out in the first half of the day. So you need to be prepared, including for skiing on broken slopes. In my opinion, maneuverable freeride station wagons with a waist of up to 115 mm are suitable for this. The Camber's deflection underfoot is definitely needed - for proper control over the skis in areas with rolled, blown or icy snow - there are plenty of them in Sheregesh, especially when there is no snowfall for a long time. These skis include Rossignol Super 7 and Soul 7, modern Fischer Ranger. It would be interesting to try the Movement Fly Swatter on the Sheregesh slopes, and Volkl Two exclusively for powder jumping and fun.
Andrey Makov
About the rider: A veteran of Sheregesh, who skied its slopes long before the resort acquired its current popularity. Experienced alpine ski instructor (“C” VAGI) with many years of experience. Preferences: off-piste, hills. I am not indifferent to ski touring. Winters in Krasnaya Polyana.
Riding experience: I first started skiing in the spring of 1996 in Sheregesh!
I learned to ski on the “classics”, shortly before the “carving revolution”, which ushered in an era of bold experiments with ski geometry. Together with the ski industry, so to speak, I have evolved as a skier. I skied on a wide variety of skis: wide, long, “rocker-schmoker”, etc. After experimenting with extremes, such as Hell Bent from K2 or Armada ARG, I came to moderation and healthy conservatism. My fondest memories are from Scott Pure and Scott Mission. The latter, without exaggeration, can be called legendary skis for Sheregesh in the early 2000s.
By the way, about Sheregesh in the 1990s and early 2000s. At that time it was a regional weekend resort. The snow that fell during the week lay quietly until the weekend and “waited” for its snow riders. We rode either in virgin soil up to our waists, or on hillocks of the same height. A stingy tear... :)
Now my main skis are Black Crows Corvus- they are quite strict and demanding on the rider’s technique and are more suitable for big-mountain freeride than for the simple terrain of Sheregesh with its soft snow. But I’m used to them and can ride them in any conditions, on completely different snow conditions on and off the piste.
If I recommend some ideal skis for Sheregesh, then I would focus on freeride all-rounders with a waist in the range of 105-108 mm, with the classic Camber camber and a slight rocker at the tip. Size, without fanaticism, height +10-15 cm. Fortunately, today there are a lot of similar models. Why stop at them?
- This will be a truly universal equipment, on which you can ride off-piste for your pleasure at a variety of resorts - from Krasnaya Polyana to Sheregesh.
In Gesha, contrary to popular belief, snow does not fall constantly, and fresh “powder” rolls out from the ski lifts very quickly - literally in 2-3 hours. Therefore, you can only allocate one pair of skis specifically for powder powder if you can afford to pay not only for them, but also for freeride programs. Most often, on days of heavy powder it is more profitable and easier to rent wide skis.
In the middle of the day in Sheregesh, you are usually already rolling on a real “sausage”. On it, wide skis with a waist of 115 mm or more hit your legs and you can’t really enjoy skiing.
For beginner freeriders, when choosing skis, I will remind you: “It’s not the skis that go, but the legs.” You need to improve your skating skills, maintain physical fitness. Otherwise, no amount of “rocker” and geometry will take you out of deep snow or from a steep slope. Roll the hills, ride with friends! :)
Sergei "Kamikaze" Turikov
About the rider: Co-founder and guide at the Mountain Patrol company, which organizes freeride programs in Sheregesh and Altai. Athlete, senior coach of the Novosibirsk Freestyle Ski Federation.
Riding experience: Over 20 years of skiing experience. I've been riding in Sheregesh since 2002. With the arrival of the season, training from the gym turns into daily skiing on the Mountain. Taking into account the specifics of my work, I have the opportunity to regularly ride in areas of Mountain Shoria remote from the resort.
Freeride in Sheregesh © Ekaterina Klimova, Instagram @egklimova
Throughout my skiing experience I have tried many models of alpine skis. If we consider the options specialized for freeride, which I had the opportunity to test and run, then, including a bunch of rare “firewood”, these will be:
- Rossignol Bandit (XXl, B-Squad, Scratch BC);
Fischer Watea, Big Stix, Ranger;
Armada ARV, TST, Norwalk, ARG;
Line Eric Pollard, Sir Francis Bacon;
Scott Mission, Dozer, Punisher, Scrapper, SageBrush, Rock Air, Cascade 110; Icelantic Shaman, Nomad; Movement Buzz; Atomic Pimp, Bent Chetler, Automatic 107;
Salomon Czar and the Rocker series.
Maybe there was something else, but I don’t remember now :) Every time I tried to try something new in order to find my cherished ideal. As a result, when I “settled down” and realized what was really important to me, I came to the conclusion that I needed to have three pairs in my arsenal :) But for skiing in Sheregesh I have two favorite equipment - Fischer Ranger 122 And Scott Scrapper 115.
Of all the things I tried, at one time I really liked the Armada TST. Cool, light, nimble ski. But the lack of width made me try its older brother, Norwalk. I was pleased. But still, an aggressive riding style and a desire for greater confidence in the equipment persuaded me to try the Fischer Big Stix 122. In fact, I still ride them :) And to be more precise, the Fischer Ranger 122 (aka Big Stix 122 in the past). Over the years, the model has undergone significant changes and has become an excellent universal projectile for different snow conditions due to its geometry and a number of design features. This is the ski I like to ski on broken soft snow and on the piste. Skillfully, they can be used in almost any conditions. But in the upcoming 2017-2018 season we will not see them in the Ranger lineup.
The Ranger 122 has been replaced by a new model with a 115 waist, less weight and a maximum height of 196 cm. 196 cm, Karl! Apparently, the manufacturer decided that 192 cm was not enough and decided to cut down two-meter “sleepers” for real men. I haven’t tested these skis yet, I’ll try them this season and it will be clear what they are like.
I like to take Scott Scrapper 115 when we go to unrolled snow fields on a snowcat. I like them for their noticeably lighter weight compared to the Ranger 122. I love jumping and spinning, which is much more comfortable to do on them. Scrapper 115 is a little softer and lighter, but is not inferior to the Rangers in terms of maneuverability. Scrapper, to put it in an accessible language, is more sophisticated or something... :) Fischer Ranger 122 for me is a “locomotive” that doesn’t care where it goes, doesn’t care what the snow conditions are and doesn’t care how it goes. He will go everywhere. But Scrapper don’t really like “sausages”, and on hard blown snow you have to be on your guard with them. In general, I would like to take the Scrapper 115 geometry and stuff the Ranger 122 “filling” into it, and then taste this explosive mixture :)
But seriously, this season I want to try the Fischer Ranger 115 in a size of 196 cm. It seems to me that this is a downright bad ski that should go straight and fast!
Dmitry Bogdanov
About the rider: Ski instructor since 2009. He teaches at freeride schools and courses to improve Snowpro riding techniques. Led top groups in Krasnaya Polyana, Sheregesh, Tignes (France), Monte Rose, Courmayeur (Italy), Gulmarg (India).
Riding experience: Over 20 years of skiing experience. I've been skating in Sheregesh since 2001.
My main skis for Sheregesh and not only - Line Influence 105, waist 105 mm, minimal rocker at the toe, fairly rigid heel and additionally reinforced with a titanium plate. Thanks to this design and geometry, they are very versatile - they behave adequately on the track and float quite tolerably in soft deep snow, unless it is super-fluffy powder. That's why I ride them 95% of the time.
Freeride - skiing in the absence of paved and groomed trails - is an activity for skiers who have mastered alpine skiing well. Driving on untouched snow outside of the ski infrastructure gives a fantastic feeling of freedom. But such skating is dangerous, it requires a certain physical training, ability to navigate on a slope, ability to react quickly and make the right decisions.
Since freeriding is not something new to alpine skiing is like, as a rule, every freerider knows which skis suit him best. Here, a lot is decided by personal preferences and subjective sensations when riding. For example, some people like skis that are shorter and more maneuverable, while others prefer longer and stiffer ones. However, some basic questions need to be answered to give beginners a general understanding of freeride skis and their selection.
If you want to ride off-prepared trails not just well, but excellently, then you can’t do without special freeriding equipment.
It’s no secret that you can ski on unprepared snow even in all-mountain skis. Most skiers do this: the first few times they go down an uncompacted slope on their regular skis, and only after some time they try to buy special ones for freeride. All-rounders with a waist of 80-90 cm perform well on trails of varying quality, including on virgin soil up to 20 cm deep.
What types of freeride skis are there?
Traditional freeride skis are powder skis. They are the widest of all alpine skis: they are about 150 mm wide at the toe and heel and about 120 mm wide at the waist. There are also super-wide models with a waist of up to 140 mm.
Powders are ideal for skiing on soft snow with a depth of 20 cm. Untouched “wild” mountain or hill slopes, wooded and gully areas with a layer of snow 1 m thick are the conditions for which powders are created. At the same time, on groomed slopes they are slow and clumsy. And super-wide options are not suitable for this purpose at all.
Freerider all-rounders are narrower than powder, but wider than regular all-mountains: they have between 130-140 mm at the toe and heel and about 100-105 mm at the waist. They are good on soft snow up to 30 cm deep and on prepared slopes with broken snow.
How to buy the right freeride skis
Length and width
The general rule: the larger (longer and wider) the skis, the less maneuverable they are and require more force to control. For this reason, skis that are too long and/or wide do not have obvious advantages for beginner freeriders.
Optimal parameters of freeriding skis for beginners:
- length – corresponds to the height of the skier +/-5 cm;
- waist width – 100-105 mm.
For most experienced skiers, the following parameters will be sufficient:
- length – height + 5-10 cm;
- waist width – up to 120 mm.
Wider options are highly specialized: they are ideal for half a meter of winter snow or more.
Cut radius
The general rule is: the smaller the radius, the smaller the turning arc. That's why:
- if you are going to ski in the forest and along ravines, then it is better to take nimble skis with a radius of up to 15 m;
- if you are focusing on slopes, then a radius of 20 m (or about this value) will be optimal.
As a rule, narrower skis have a larger radius. They don't require any fuss, and the larger slope radius allows for better control. And vice versa. For example, one of the unique powder versions has a geometry of 165-108-140 and a cut radius of only 11 m. According to reviews from skiers, skis with the following parameters are ideal for professional freeride:
- never drown in the snow;
- on firn they demonstrate the same speed as on a prepared track;
- do not break through the snow crust.
At the same time, such skis can be a good option for beginner freeriders who have a serious intention of skiing off-piste.
Stiffness and weight deflection
For classic freeride, it is better to choose soft and wide skis than hard and narrow ones. Rigidity is traditionally associated with speed and aggressive riding style. In freeride it's the other way around: deep snow and low speeds. In addition, more soft skis easier to manage. But there may be exceptions. For example, if you plan to ski mainly in the spring, when there is little snow and it is quite dense, then hardness will be preferable to softness.
The weight deflection is determined visually. In freerider versions it is very small. Therefore, it will not be possible to determine the level of stiffness of such skis using the usual method.
Naturally, the stiffness parameter is directly related to the dimensions of the skier and the length of the skis. Let's say, if your height is 170 cm, and you take 180 cm skis, then the stiffness should be average with a weight of 60 kg. If the skis are shorter, then they should be more rigid.
In general, the severity category is very ephemeral, and until you stand on the snow, you will not be able to make an adequate assessment. Therefore, before you buy, be more interested in the reviews of other freeriders, read reviews of models released in previous seasons and already tested by other skiers.
Manufacturers and prices
Dozens of companies are involved in the production of alpine skis. Each manufacturer has 10-20 or more exclusively freerider or universal models. The following brands of freeride skis are popular in Russia: Volkl, Movement, Salomon, DPS, Fisher, Rossignol, Majesty, Stockli, Whitedot, Atomic, Goodboards.
Traditionally, Fischer and Rossignol are leaders in the premium segment. In general, the price difference between brands is not significant. From each manufacturer you can find cheap or expensive models in the same price category. Price range is from $200 to $1300. The most popular models are in the $400-$700 price segment.
The cost of a model is more influenced not by the brand, but by the season of release: the most expensive are skis released in the current year and aimed at upcoming season. Over time, these models lose value and are replaced at the top by the latest versions.
